Been rediscovering Celosia. A hundred years ago I used to grow Celosia as an ornamental garden plant. easy easy easy. Last year at the Hammond AgCenter field day I was absolutely mesmerized by the number of bees hovering and gleaning about the Ball Seed Celosia exclusive – Intenz Lipstick Celosia. So amazing and fun to see! I didn’t get Intenz but I did get Cramer’s Amazon Giant Celosia seed and it did not dissapoint. More butterflies, bees and Skippers than you can shake a stick at, folks – all summer long.

monarchs were happy in the Cramer’s Amazon – I walked up on four last Wednesday just standing and watching for a few minutes – they were like drunken sailors coming back for more and more and more.

Two trips back to back to Eunice prairie for seed and saw numerous Monarchs during my time there. This is an action shot – in flight.

above, Trump Tower in Eunice haaaha

Inoculating a new prairie planting with groovy prairie seed, Friday in St John Parish, La.

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I stopped in and took some photos with my flying camera at the Hammond Park prairie gardens. These gardens wouldn’t be so extraordinary if they weren’t growing in the worst soil ever – Ever-ever! We did no amendments for the soil and took advantage of superior prairie adaptability to adverse conditions at hand. Turned out well.

Abita Flatwoods Preserve, Nature Conservacy loop through Pine prairie and Baygall habitats with the Capitol Area chapter of the La. Native Plant Society was a real blast. A good group turned out and we braved the cold windy overcast weather that turned out to be nice sun shiny day by mid-trip.

thousands of plants of herby white Asters were strewn across the open fields – where’s a botanist when you need one? Nice prairie.

At one point along the trail, where the prairie and the Baygall plant communities come together, Dicanthelium (possibly) scabriusculum – Panic grass – covers the ground with its course textured tan colored grass foliage – a striking change and transition from Bluestem grass to Panic grass.

An occasional Morh’s Bluestem grass plant with its distinctive chalky silver-blue colored leaves stands-out among the mostly tan and green tones. You know you’re livin’ right when you stumble upon Mohr’s Bluestem – num-nummy!!

October is the month for the riotous crescendo of flowering plants, the symphonic prairie song. The Monarch’s flyway-flythrough on the return trip to Mexico’s Fir forests is loaded with prairie nectar, for a reason.

There are no coincidences in nature. every wild area – natural area – is perfectly organized and logical, no matter how wild and wooly it may look. Doll’s Daisy, Swamp Sunflower and the Ivy leafed Thoroughwort scrap for ground now but will be pushed out from more permanent plants – over time. The fascinating nature of the process of natural succession happens to be an enjoyable pastime – to watch from day to day and from year to year.

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Dr Joe and Charlotte Barron residence in Spearsville, Louisiana, a stone’s throw from the Arkansas/ Loosiana state line

pinky lavendar color of Agalinus, Gerardia, above

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False Foxglove stirs-up the appetite of the Buckeye Butterfly caterpillars in Pineville, Loosiana

Landscape Designer Tony Tradewell in awe of the flowery flora. Tony and I worked together to make this garden happen.

Bluestem grass and Doll’s Daisy on the half-mile pollinator-prairie planting near Ruston La., along I-20

flowering stalks of Bluestem

a very cool garden it is indeed. Lots of the silvery leafed Whooly Croton (or Dove Weed, Goat Weed, or Hog Weed). A plant of many common names. The host plant for Goat Weed Leafwing butterflies.

At Charles Allen’s Annual Butterfly Blast on Saturday, I was shown the Goat Weed Leafwing larva wrapped up in what Linda Auld called a Leafwing burrito. 🙂 The larva is silvery colored, just like the Croton leaf.

The City of West Monroe, the Biology Department at ULM, and Pastorek Habitats collaborated on the City’s Kiroli Park prairie garden in West Monroe. Its coming along very well, thank you. Purple Top on the hilltop!

The garden has taken on a “shady” character, with Purple-top Tridens grass covering the ground beautifully, accompanied by Little Bluestem grass, and Thoroughworts, Bee Balms, and Spotted Horse Mint.

“All of the exciting stuff that happens is not in the normal center, but on the edge.”

James Hitchmough, Horticulture Professor, University of Sheffield – New Directions in the American Landscape conference – February 2014

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City of Mandeville/ La Dept of Transportation model of prairie – planted and managed by Pastorek Habitats, llc. Established in November 2014 – and not mowed or “weeded” even once. Controlled burn, only once in three years.

Stellar.

C’est Magnifique!

Bluestem grass is really going gangbusters right now, in full color and glory. Very pretty.

Allow for space. It’s as important as playing the note. George Porter Jr. – New Orleans bassist/ musician

Mandeville meadow gardens July 30, 2017

meadow gardens are wrapped by manicured turf and perfect timing

Native grasses nurture native wildflowers, having grown together for thousands of years, they’ve developed a common bond, a symbiotic relationship – a push and pull of sorts, a ying and a yang.

subtle layers and patterns and contrasts…

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Hammond prairie meadow blocks, form garden symmetry

July 31, 2017

Shaggy chic! Magnifique! Oui!

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Terese’s Abita Springs residence backyard preserve with pizazz.

July 29,2017

reducing carbon footprint – taking giant-leap steps of practicality

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Carriere, Mississippi grid garden

structured wildness

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Folsom, Louisiana meadow gardens – flowering rooms

designed paths widen and narrow at the behest of a mower

This Folsom meadow garden is laden with tens of thousands of flowers of Narrow Leafed Mountain Mint (Picnanthemum tenuifolium), Button Snakeroots, Bee Balms. Summer flowering plants shine and then finally fade, bowing to late summer Asters, Goldenrods, Blazing Stars, Swamp Sunflowers and False Foxgloves. All of these are accompanied by the ever present beauty and character and delicacy of native grasses, the essential structural bones of the garden. Grasses are winter cover for pollinating insects. Insects, like Butterflies and Skippers overwinter in open, sunny, unmowed fields like prairie meadows and fallow fields.

Mowing some: good.

Mowing all: not good.

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Abita Flatwoods Preserve Hillside Bog – spacial patterns

July 30, 2017

trees and shrubs in green, and herbs and grasses in reddish brown, patterns of form and color, appear in ancient relict vegetation.

Malcolm Vidrine will lead a tour of his amazing prairie garden during the Cajun Prairie field day event to be held August 26, beginning at Eunice prairie restoration project at 8:00 and culminating with a tour of Vernon Fuselier’s prairie gardens just around the corner from Dr Vidrine’s. see Malcolm’s blog site at link below.

Kansas Blazing stars (not just native to Kansas)(they’re not in Kansas anymore) are starting to blaze in our prairie and Pine herbaceous understory seed fields. Seed was originally collected from plants in Frey Prairie, St Landry Parish, back 20 years ago.

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prairie at the end of the rainbow, for sure – the Ponchartrain Causeway – Its called the “Cause-way” – ’cause I only cross it if I have to…

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Covington Nature Trails grant construction work nearly complete

doesn’t look like much but very nice vegetation on the ground under foot.

Baton Rouges Riverfront plaza, one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the City will be gifted authentic prairie vegetation for all to enjoy.

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New Orleans’ Scout Island still kicking after 8 years. Well sort of… 😦

Little Bluestem grasses, an key indicator species of seeded/ restored prairie health, are fighting for their lives at the corner Harrison Avenue and Diagonal Drive in New Orleans City Park.

two areas, above and below, where they’remowing in two of the best parts of the prairie. ouch! git that mower outta there ya’ll. Aye-yiyi!

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ADYC – another dang yellow composite

Silphium integrifolium, Covington, La. garden

Silphiums plants are rare birds. They’re indicators of high quality vegetation and are highly desirable garden plants – nectar plants highly sought after by butterflies, skippers, Hummingbirds and many other beneficial insects. Silphiums are also indicators of great gardens! …and gardeners. ha

The seeds of Silphium are extremely high in oil content and are very attractive to song birds when they ripen. They are also beautiful flowering plants, this one, Silphium integrifolium, originally from seed from a plant I found with Gail Barton on one of our field trips Jackson soil prairies – collected over 15 years ago in Scott County Mississippi, reaches about six feet in height. A super duper wildlife plant – the John Wayne of the Jackson soil prairie – big and tall and manly and rides high in the saddle. :))

Silphiums have huge fleshy roots that can reach down to fifteen feet deep into the ground.

They germinate pretty easily but take a few or more years to mature and make flower.

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Prairies are basically expanses of root masses that regenerate each spring and go dormant each fall – masses of grass roots that cover and hold soil permanently. Prairies are“woven, inextricable, and kaleidoscopic in character”.

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click to see the maiden voyage of the Pastorek Habitats drone, the USS Fleabane, over one of the Mandeville, Louisiana prairie gardens. Still working out the aerial technique.

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rain lilies are as easy as gardening gets

rain lilly in my garden

sometimes called Red Neck Crocus or the Crocus of the South, rain lilies are dependable garden plants that take years to establish, but you’ll enjoy the rewards of your effort for a very long time.

Atamasco lily, Phlox, Meadow Rue, native Onion, and Violet – above

Rain Lilies – Atamascos, in April Scott County, Mississippi

some species of Rain Lilies like heavy wet soils

…so they’re very adaptable plants…..

Some like arid conditions and can be used in pots here in the Central Gulf Coastal plain as permanent plants that flower and foliage as they please through the summer

Rain lilies, if treated well will naturalize and multiply to impress.

Zephyranthes citrina of Marconi Drive in City Park New Orleans

I will never forget seeing miles and miles of white Rain Lilies in bloom once twenty years ago in Pass Christian, in the median, on the east side of the bay bridge. Stunningly beautiful landscape it was indeed. That was before cell phones. Didn’t get a photo. Check out Scott Ogden’sBulbs of the South for details on most. Its the bomb.

cool Pale Coneflowers and some Button Snakeroots via Gail Barton of Meridian, Mississippi. She has what you call a green thumb when it comes to prairie propagatin’. These go to University of Louisiana, Lafayette’s new prairie garden. Go Gail!

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White Leafed Mt Mint, a great prairie plant, makes a good, almost evergreen companion for ornamental pots. I have trimmed this one occasionally to keep it short and squat. One of my favorite prairie plants, This Mt Mint is tame, beautiful and will last longer than you.

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Twistleaf Goldenrod plants ready for Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Gardens, Baton Rouge. Got some rare seed from Botanist Chris Reid last fall, Solidago tortifolia, from one of the cool Ranch prairies in southwest La. Grew off about 75 seedlings, only four made the cut. Too much rain this spring/ root rot. These are four healthy three-gallon plants ready for the W&F native plant garden on Quail Drive. The garden is a labor of love – something to see.

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Five gallon bucket earthworm farm makes awesome soil

I bought a little sack of night crawlers a year or so ago and kept giving them coffee grinds and veggie scraps, and an occasional corn meal dusting, etc. I got so good atrunning the farm I got another bucket and before you know it I was in the compost business – the best compost! Used some to plant my fall tomato and cucumber crop yesterday. Nice.

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speaking of fun in the garden……

Dr. Charles Allen’s chicken coop garden

In the giant footprint of his circular chicken coop, Dr. Allen designed a zinnia garden, one of many types of gardens he has developed to attract and study rare insects.

If you have not seen Dr. Charles Allen’s edible plant demonstration before, not doubt you’ll find it interesting, entertaining, and delicious! See him describe and offer tastes of prepared and natural herb leaves, teas, and breads – Sunday in New Orleans.

Dr. Allen is a botanist and one of the leading authorities on wild plants and their plant communities. He is also a skilled prairie ecologist, one of the prairie pioneers of Louisiana. He and Malcolm Vidrine basically “rediscovered the Louisiana prairies” – once thought to be extinct.

Not many people I know can entertain a group by botanizing at a gas station – while filling up – but I have seen Dr. Allen find the most amazing plants hidden in the oddest places – behind the tire air pump or growing in the mowed lawn, where most people, including myself, would pass them by.

its hard to capture the aura of the planting in photography, but I tried 🙂

It was rad.

St. Tammany, Louisiana

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Greg Grant is one of the most prolific gardeners. I first met him at the Southern Garden History meeting in Brehnan, Texas in 1990. Greg reintroduced the South to some of its own best heirloom plants – brought old timey plants back into the horticulture trade. He bought a mix of seed from us for this pine prairie restoration project below in video.

Doug and Mary’s prairie garden in Folsom was stunningly beautiful yesterday. Dropped in to catch some photos, to see progress. Three years time from seed and looking lovely, with many flowering Button Snakeroots, Narrow Leafed Mountain Mints, Black Eyed Susies and Bee Balms.

Lincoln Parish prairie/ pollinator habitat gardens, planted at the request of the Louisiana Department of Transportation for the Rest Area – Welcome Center in Tremont, Louisiana, between Monroe and Ruston on Interstate-20

our old planting of perennial prairie plant community species, above, from spring of last year, is on the right (in green) and the planting done this spring is on the left in yellow. The annual color, stabilization species are the yellow, Coereopsis tinctoria, the prairie species are just now germinating, under and in conjunction with, the Coreopsis. Some areas of the planting from last year are a bit sparse, as you can see in the photo, but this is typical.

I used annual color last year that’s quite happy filling in the gaps between pioneering prairie perennials. For prairie plants , which are most all perennials, Dr Vidrine says, “the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, THE THIRD YEAR THEY LEAP!!!” 🙂

Perennial plants are permanent plants but they take a few years of growing and concentrating their energy on roots and then they begin to mature and flower and compete in the landscape for space, sunlight, moisture, nutrients and root zone. Perennial prairie gardens are self-proliferating, ever-increasing in biomass both above and below ground.

prairie is subtle, sublime.

many Bees, Butterflies and Dragon Flies were partaking, enjoying the soup dejour.

a few Sweet Scented Camphorweeds were showing their purple-silvery foliage

Centaurea americana

The rock-star annual American Basketflower/ American Bachelor Button can’t be beat

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West Monroe’s, Ouachita Parish, La., Kiroli Park Prairie Garden

Lots of really good species developing in the gardens, and consistently throughout. Lots of Monarda fistulosa and Monarda punctata getting ready to flower – so all through June the garden will be lit up with fragrant minty color – both of these are just budded up now.

The most significant plant found so far from our seeding was this, above, singular Pale Coneflower, Rudbeckia Pallida.

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Native Prairie Gardens at Hammond Research Station, flourishing

Rudbeckia nidita

above, the Care and Maintenance Gardens are demonstration, research areas designed and managed by Dr. Yan Chen – developed in the last few years in order to provide a venue for native prairie species grow, to gain more acceptance in the horticulture industry through the Station’s active Field Day forums. All of the seed they’ve used for the gardens has been donated by our firm.

above, the “sand box gardens” were attempted using a variation of one of Dr. James Hitchmough’s (University of Sheffield, UK) seeding techniques. The gardens are set in a grid with mowed strips between. The gardens were literally buzzing with happy insect species. Looking good, Dr. Yan!

New Gardens of Bluestem grass mass gardens have been planted to determine sufficient spacing for naturalized, native grass landscapes planted via nursery grown plants. There are four large gardens, planted last year from nursery plants grown from Pastorek donated seed.

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Mississippi State Department of Transportation Conservation-Preservation EffortNEEDED on Interstate Highway 55, from Osyka to Brookhaven

an odd-colored rudbeckia hirta

rudbeckia hirta

Slender Bluestem grass. ahhhhhhh….

helinium flexuosa

green milkweed

numnummy

some of the most amazing and beautiful gardenesque prairies – miles and miles of them – exist on Interstate 55 in southwestern Mississippi, running through the southern part of Hinds County and all through Copiah, Lincoln and Pike Counties. These are, in some cases, worth stopping and viewing and if your lucky, load up with some Green Milkweed seeds!

Life is good. Make it fun!

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the struggle of life is not won with one glorious moment – but a continual in which you keep your dignity in tact and your powers at work, over a long course of a life time.